Jaguar’s F-Type is a car that has taken a lot of thought out of me.  When I was at Pebble Beach, it was already on sale, and I’d already had some seat time in one back in June 2013 on a parking-lot racetrack in Queens, NY.  However, due to the limited amount of time I’d had with it, I was looking forward to taking another crack at this little sports car in the Golden State.  I got my wish when I strapped myself into this sleek black beauty, and took it for a rather educational drive around the Seventeen Mile Drive.

The Looks

There’s no way I should put this other than the truth.  The F-Type fell off the beautiful tree, and it kissed every branch on the way down.  This is, by about a country mile, the prettiest car that Jaguar has put on sale in a very long time.  Granted, Jaguar hasn’t produced an ugly car since the X-Type, but the F-Type is a throwback in terms of the exterior, but doesn’t actually feel like one.  The stubby rear end looks purposeful, the big, gaping grille looks functional, and the low profile is a reminder of what Jaguar wants you to believe about its newest family member.

The interior is also fantastic.  While I’m no big fan of using yellow-tone-gold for the paddle shifter finish, the rest of the interior has a very strong look about it.  The knobs look high-quality, the instrument binnacle looks smart, and the roll bars are finished well.  The interior is available with a wide range of colors and finishes, further increasing its attractiveness.  The packaging of the interior styling, and how it can be changed, can suit plenty of different individuals.

Grade: 4.0/4.0

By the Numbers

The F-Type that I took out for a drive that day was a pre-production model, so I was aware there would be some build issues.  On the oustide, though, all looked well.  The shut lines looked nice and clean, the paint quality was befitting of a high-five-figure sporting car, and the carbon fiber motif on the wheels is of a high quality.  The huge brakes give the impression that the development cash was definitely well-spent.

Interior quality is befitting of the price.  The floor was rattling a bit on the drive, and the “Eco” mode did not work at all on this car, but since it was a pre-production model that had clearly been driven quite a lot, I was willing to let that slide a bit.  The interior materials were excellent, with high quality leather and carbon fiber covering numerous surfaces.  Two different steering wheels are even available depending on the packaging–mine was a flat-bottom unit, for the S model. The controls are all solidly put together, nothing at all feels out of place and all of the many toggle switches feel very good and are close at hand.

Score: 4.0/4.0

 At the Helm

In a straight line, the 380hp supercharged V6 pulls up to speed very smoothly.  You get a smooth curve, and a great noise coming out from the exhausts even from this midrange model.  In a roadster as light as this one, the V6 certainly feels more than enough, but not enough to get you in trouble before you realize there’s strobe lights behind you.  The 8 speed automatic transmission, sourced from ZF, is as smooth as they come and with the paddle shifters, responds effectively.  The multiple driving modes on the V6S make the experience all the merrier, and the sports exhaust on this car was a joy to behold, allowing me to enjoy every breaking moment and every snap, crackle, and pop of the exhaust.

Hit the corners, and the little F-Type really shines brightly.  There’s immense grip from this short-wheelbase chassis and the wide track helps place the car on the road.  The tires are excellent and the suspension damping feels near-perfect in the V6S.  The car has no body lean in corners and the ride is somehow still comfortable.  Visibility on the road is satisfactory–because I didn’t put the roof up, I didn’t have a chance to check the over-the-shoulder visibility, but the rear view camera in the F-Type does help.  But, then again, why would I want to put the roof up at a place like Pebble?

Score: 4.0/4.0

The Bottom Line:

One of the things that makes me hurt all over about the Jag is the price tag.  With all the option boxes that my test car had ticked, the price was staggering–nearly 100 large for a sports car powered by a supercharged V6.  If the options list was lower and the price was closer to about 80 grand, I would complain that there’s not enough customization, but you can’t have both with this car.  There’s a bevvy of customization options available, but it’s a “pay-to-play” situation.  It will feel like money well-spent but it’s still a large amount of cash to pony up for certain sets of options.  The performance for the money spent will feel sufficient to most buyers, but when there’s a V8 option, with 100 more horsepower, available for, with the same or similar options, about 100 grand, the offering of the supercharged V6 for not much less diminishes a value quotient for the V6S.

All that said, for a car that offers as much as this one, I’m still hard-pressed to find another sports car that can do so many things as well as this one does for the price.  Considering its competition, the F-Type is in an interesting segment of the market and will perform well.  There is a coupe coming (and it will be advertised during the Super Bowl to the general public), the styling is fantastic, and there’s not a lot of other European roadsters on the market that I think offer a package as truly complete as this one, especially for less than six figures.

Score: 3.0/4.0

The F-Type makes a compelling case for itself in the V6S trim.  While it’s expensive with options, what it offers to the willing driver is a thrill that I found hard to replicate elsewhere.  It’s a fantastic little sports roadster and it’s a sign that Jaguar is getting better and better at targeting spirited drivers.  When I first saw one on the roads in June 2013, I knew I had to try one out.  Luckily, I’ve had that chance.  Unfortunately, it’s like a drug, because after I stumbled out in a stupor of exhaust noise, unburned hydrocarbons, and general adrenaline, I wanted another hit, so I took the V8 engined car out for a ride too.  While this review is only concerning the V6S, the thrill is there.  The V6S offers balance, poise, beauty, and style, even if it does all of that for a steep price for a V6.

-Score: 4.0+4.0+3.0+3.0 = 14.0/16

Grade: B+

-Albert S. Davis